Bottle with hanger support



Jan. 24, 1967 E. J. wHlTE ETAL BOTTLE WITH HANGER SUPPORT Filed oct. 29,1965 United States Patent 3,299,442 BOTTLE WITH HANGER SUPPORT Edward J.White, Denville, Frank J. Serany, Jr., Pompton Plains, and Jerome J.Stern, Englewood, NJ., assignors to C. R. Bard, Inc., Murray Hill, NJ.,a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 505,704 14Claims. (Cl. 4-110) This invention relates to drainage 4bottles and moreparticularly t-o means for supporting or suspending such bottles.

Drainage bottles made of flexible plastic materials are frequently usedin hospitals to collect drainage fluid from body cavities, one prevalentuse being for collecting drainage fluid from the bladder as the latteris drained via a Foley catheter. Because of their flexible nature, thedrainage bottles need to be suitably supported las they are beingfilled. T-he support may be a floor stand but more frequently thebottles are suspended by a strap from a side rail of a bed or the like.

In the latter case, it is desirable to have a handle or t provide someway to conveniently hold the flexible bottle when the suspension strapis being released from or at- -tached to the bed rail, particularly whenIa full bottle is being removed from its suspended condition foremptying. In this case of a bottle supported on a floor stand, it isalso desira'ble to have a handle or other convenient means for holdingand handling the bottle, for example, to empty a full bottle -or toadapt it for use by an ambulatory patient.

Because of their construction and the types of materials used, it is notalways feasible or practical to form a support or suspension hangerintegral with the plastic bottle, and therefore an arrangement has to beprovided vto secure such support or suspension hanger to the bottle.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide adrainage bottle and hanger both constructed and arranged to facilitateattachment of the hanger to the bottle.

Another object is to provide a drainage bottle having means thereon forsecuring -a hanger to facilitate handling of the bottle, said meansbeing adapted to cooperate with a suspension strap for suspending thebottle from a bed rail or the like whereby the hanger may be used tosupport the bottle independently of the suspension strap.

A further object is to provide cert-ain improvements in the form,construction, arrangement and material of the several elements wherebythe above named -and other objects may efficiently be attained.

A practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings whe-rein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drainage bottle and support meanstherefore.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, similar to FIG. l, but with the drainagetubing and suspension strap removed.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the hanger before it is placed on the neck ofthe bottle.

FIG. 4 is a perspective Iof the hanger with the tabs extended to theposition they .assume on the neck of the bottle.

FIG. 5 is an elevation-al view, partly in section, of the vadaptor forattaching the drainage tube to the neck of the bottle.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a drainage Frice bottle 10suspended from a bed rail 12 or the like by a suspension strap 14. Thedrainage bottle 10 is connected to a catheter 16 via a drainage tube 18(partially shown), the latter being so disposed as t0 provide a downhillpath for Huid ow from a body cavity (eg. bladder) to the drainage bottle10.

The bott-le 10 has a cylindrical neck 22 on which are formed suitablemeans for afxing the suspension strap 14, for attaching a handle 24, andfor connecting the end of the drainage tube 1S. Thus, the neck 22 isprovided with two diametrically opposed lugs 26 which are generally dat,as shown, with their connecting edges extending axially of the neck 22.The lugs 26y and the neck 22 are made integral of a suitable plasticmaterial. The neck 22 is of suicient thickness to provide the requiredrigidity for its various support functions while the lugs 26 are made ofa thickness suiicient to support the bottle 10 when it is suspendedthereby -but which are adapted to be flexed 4to one side in order thatthe handle 24 may be slipped thereover and secured around the neck ofthe bottle as will be described.

As best shown in FIG. 2, each lug 26 has a hook 26a formed thereonadapted to engage openings or slits 28 inthe suspension strap 14. Thehook 26a may have an arrow pointed tip as hsown at 26b. A plurality ofsuitably spaced openings 28 may be provided at each end portion of thestrap 14 for adjusting the size of the suspension loop as may bedesired, for example, to raise or lower the bottle 10 relative to thebed rail 12 or to accommodate diierent size bed rails or other supports.It will readily be evident that the strap 14 may be easily attached toand detached from the hooks 26a to suspend the bag from the bed rail, toremove -it therefrom, or to `adjust it thereon.

In addition to providing a suspension for the bottle, the strap 14 mayalso be used as a handle to carry the bottle from one location toanother. However, when removing the bottle 10 from the bed rail, it isdesirable to provide some other means to support the weight of thebottle yand its contents in order to take the weight off of thesuspension strap 14 as the latter is removed from around the bed rail.This additional support means is particularly desirable when usingbottles made of plastic lm or other types of collapsible or non-rigidstructures which are not readily supportable other than by suspension.Accordingly, the separate handle 24 is provided for this purpose, suchhandle also being adaptable for use as a convenient carrying handle totransport the bottle.

As -best shown in FIG, 3, the handle 24 is initiallSl formed from a flatsheet of material, e.g. latex, having a finger opening 29, an opening 30adapted to fit onto the neck 22 of the bottle 10 and slits 31, 32, 33,34, each of which terminate in openings 35 to relieve stressconcentrations and to accommodate the lower portions of the lugs 26 aswill -be described. The diameter of the circle 36 defined by the outerradi-al extremities of the openings 35 is approximately equal to theouter diameter of the neck 22 of the bottle. Accordingly, the opening 30in the handle 24 may be placed over the neck 22 and the h-andle pusheddownwardly thereon as the portions of the handle between the slits 31,32, 33, 34 bend upward- -ly to form upwardly extending tabs 37 aroundthe neck of the bottle as illustrated in FIG. 4. The handle 24 is, ofcourse, placed on the neck 22 before the suspension strap 14 or drainagetubing 18 is connected up.

The lugs 26 in their normal extended position (FIGS. l and 2) areordinarily in the way, preventing slipping of the handle 24 to its lowerposition on the neck 22. However, as previously mentioned, the lugs 26are adapted to be flexed to one side so that the handle 24 may beslipped thereover to a position underlying the lugs. Thus the lugs 26which are joined to the neck 22 along an elongated section runningaxially of the neck are manually flexed about said elongated section toone side (as indicated by the arrow 3S in FIG. 2) to lie adjacent to theouter surface of the neck 22, conforming to the circular shape of thelatter. With both lugs 26 flexed in this manner, the handle 24 may beslipped down the neck, past the bent over lugs 26, to the position shownin FIG. 2 whereupon the lugs may be released to resume their normalunllexed position (FIGS. l and 2) due to the natural resiliency of theplastic material. Various other methods mayalso be employed to slip thehandle 24 past the lugs 26. For example, one side of the handle 24 maybe placed below one lug while the latter is in its normal extendedposition and then the other lug bent to one side so that thediametrically opposed side of the handle may be slipped thereby. Alsothe lugs may be flexed in opposite directions and the handle 24 turnedor rotated slightly as it is passed over the neck to facilitate axialmovement past the lugs. The lugs 26 in their normal extended positionprevent the handle from slipping ofir of the neck as will be evidentfrom FIG. 2. Also once the handle 24 is in place, it is prevented fromrotating on the neck due to the engagement between the lower extremitiesof the lugs 26 and the portions of the openings 35 between adjacent tabs3'7. The lugs, therefore, in addition to providing a means for afxingthe suspension strap 14 to the neck, also hold the handle 24 on the neckof the bottle in a predetermined position whereby a nger may be insertedinto the opening 29 to flex the handle upward and provide a convenientmanual suspension support as represented by broken lines in FIG. 2.

The drainage tube i8 may be attached to the neck 22 of the bottle by anadapter 40 fitted over the opening of the neck. The neck has an annularridge 42 below which a ridge 44 on the inner surface of the adapter 40is adapted to fit to facilitate securing the adapter in place on theneck. The adapter 40 may be made of a readily flexible material havingcircular corrugated rings 46 therein forming a diaphragm which mayeasily ex to accommodate varying lead-in angles of the drainage tube 18.rThe end 18a of the drainage tube 18 terminates within the adapter 4t)as shown in FIG. so that when the tube 18 is bent relative to the axisof the adapter 40 and the corrugations 46 are flexed, the terminatingend 18a will not contact the inside surface of the adapter 40, therebypreventing formation of an unbroken path of liquid lm through whichbacteria may pass from the bottle lt) upstream to the drainage tube 18to the patient.

As previously mentioned, the ridge 44 on the adapter 40 underlies theridge 42 on the neck 22 to hold the adapter in place. Additional meansin the form of two endless rubber bands 48 may also be provided to holdthe adapter. Each band passes over one side of the adapter 40 in thearea of the corrugations 46 and extends downwardly across to the otherside where it is looped under the lug 26 thereby exerting a resilientforce holding the adapter 40 on the neck 22.

As shown in the drawings, the drainage bottle is made of a flexiblematerial, e.g. plastic, and is adapted to be collapsed along the foldlines 10a to facilitate storage before use. The neck 22 may be integralwith the main body of the bottle or suitably secured thereon. Forexample, the neck may be fused to the bottle during the moldingoperation to form what is in effect an integral connection. It will beunderstood, however,

that the invention is not limited to bottles of the type illustrated asit will be evident that other types of bottles may be used, for example,bottles made from a suitably sealed sleeve of plastic lm and having aneck thereon.

Although two lugs 26 are shown and described, it will be understood thatmore than two may be provided, and similarly, more than four tabs 37 maybe used. Also the tabs may take various other shapes as desired, forexample, the opening 30 may be eliminated and the slits 31, 32, 33, 34,extended inwardly to the center to form two intersecting slits whichwill define triangular tabs when the handle is placed on the neck of thebottle. The lugs 26 may be provided with a thin section 26C immediatelyadjacent the neck to facilitate flexing at such section. Alsoreinforcing ribs 26d may be formed on the lugs as desired, for example,adjacent the upper edge.

It will be understood that various changes may be made kin the form,construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention and hence we do not intend to belimited to the details shown or described herein except as the same areincluded in the claims or may be required by disclosures of the priorart.

What we claim is:

1. A plastic drainage bottle having a neck, lugs extending from saidneck, a hanger having a section fitted about said neck, at least one ofsaid lugs being constructed and arranged to be temporarily ilexed topermit said hanger to be slipped on said neck past said lugs to underliethe latter and thereafter to be held in place by the lugs as the latterresume their normal unflexed condition.

2. A plastic drainage bottle according to claim 1 wherein said one lugis generally at to facilitate flexing.

3. A plastic drainage bottle according to claim 1 wherein said one lugis joined to said neck along an elongated section running axially of theneck, said one lug being flexed at said elongated section.

4. A plastic drainage bottle according to claim 1` wherein at least oneof said lugs has means thereon for detachably connecting a suspensionstrap thereto.

5. A plastic drainage bottle according to claim 4 wherein said. meanscomprises a hook portion to which said suspension strap is connected.

6. A plastic drainage bottle according to claim 5 wherein said hook hasa reinforcing rib-formed integral therewith.

7. A plastic drainage bottle according to claim 1 wherein said section*of said hanger is initially at and has slits, the portions between saidslits forming tabs which are flexed to extend generally perpendicularlyto the general plane of said flat hanger when the latter is in positionon the neck.

8. A plastic drainage bottle according to claim 7 wherein circularcutouts are disposed at the terminal ends of said slits to avoidconcentrated areas of stress.

9. A plastic drainage bottle according to claim 7 wherein said sectionhas an opening to receive said neck.

10. A plastic drainage bottle according to claim 7 wherein said lugs areaccommodated between two adjacent tabs such that the lugs preventrotation of the hanger on the neck.

lll. A plastic drainage bottle according to claim 7 wherein said tabslit about the periphery of said neck.

12. A plastic drainage bottle according to claim 1 wherein said hangerhas an extension with an opening therein forming a handle.

13. A plastic drainage bottle and support therefore, a cylindrical neckon said bottle, integral lugs extending outwardly of said neck, asuspension strap having means engageable with said lugs, said lugshaving hook means for receiving said engageable means to detachably aixsaid suspension strap thereto, a hanger having one section extendingaway from the neck to form a handle or the like and another sectionhaving an opening for receivingv said neck, at least one of said lugsbeing constructed and arranged to be temporarily ilexed to permit saidhanger to be slipped on said neck past said lugs to a positionunderlying the latter whereby said lugs hold said hanger on said neck assaid lug resumes its normal unilexed condition.

14. A plastic drainage bottle and support therefore according to claim13 wherein there are two diametrically opposed lugs each having agenerally at construction to facilitate exing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,177,359 10/1939Baker. 3,160,304 12/1964 Peacock 21S-l0 TOSEPH R. LECLAIR, PrimaryExaminer.

lo D. F. NORTON, Assistant Examiner.

13. A PLASTIC DRAINAGE BOTTLE AND SUPPORT THEREFORE, A CYLINDRICAL NECKON SAID BOTTLE, INTEGRAL LUGS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID NECK, ASUSPENSION STRAP HAVING MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID LUGS, SAID LUGSHAVING HOOK MEANS FOR RECEIVING SAID ENGAGEABLE MEANS TO DETACHABLYAFFIX SAID SUSPENSION STRAP THERETO, A HANGER HAVING ONE SECTIONEXTENDING AWAY FROM THE NECK TO FORM A HANDLE OR THE LIKE AND ANOTHERSECTION HAVING AN OPENING FOR